2000
#13,256
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Perkinson
Derived from the Old English "Peartingas," referring to people living near a pear tree or orchard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,328 Americans carry the last name Perkinson. That puts it at #14,199 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,231 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Perkinson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Perkinson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 147,231
Census rank
#14,199
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,030 bearers of the surname Perkinson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14199th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Perkinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Perkinson
The Perkinson surname originates from England, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "Perkyn" and "son," meaning "son of Perkyn." The name Perkyn was a diminutive form of the name Peter, which was a popular name during that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Perkinson name can be found in the Hertfordshire County Records from 1273, where it is listed as "Perkynessone." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the surname over time. Additionally, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, further solidifying its presence in medieval England.
The Perkinson name has also been linked to various place names, particularly those with the prefix "Perkin." For instance, there is a Perkins Cove in Maine, United States, which may have been influenced by early settlers bearing the Perkinson surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Perkinson name. One such figure was John Perkinson (1558-1617), an English clergyman who served as the rector of St. Olave's Church in London. Another was William Perkinson (1760-1832), a British naval officer who played a role in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a member of parliament.
In the literary world, Henry Perkinson (1806-1868) was an English writer and journalist known for his contributions to periodicals such as the Monthly Magazine and the Literary Gazette. Additionally, James Perkinson (1875-1941) was an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Perkinson Foundation, which supported educational initiatives in his home state of West Virginia.
Lastly, it's worth mentioning John Perkinson (1935-2022), a renowned British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Barbican Centre in London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Perkinson
Among Census respondents with the surname Perkinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Perkinson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Perkinson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 1,777
- Black or African American6.2% · 126
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 57
- Two or more races2.6% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Perkinson
Perkinson appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,149
+38 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 758 places
2020
#14,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,030
-119 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 185 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,256 | 2,111 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,014 | 2,149 | 0.73 | +38 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 758 places |
| 2020 | #14,199 | 2,030 | 0.68 | -119 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 185 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Perkinson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,014 | #14,199 | -1.3% |
| Count | 2,149 | 2,030 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.68 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Perkinson bearers went from 2,149 to 2,030 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 185 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,014 to #14,199.
FAQ
Perkinson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Perkinson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,328 living Americans carry the surname Perkinson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,231 residents.
How common is Perkinson?
Perkinson ranks #14,199 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,030 people with the surname Perkinson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,328), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Perkinson.
Has Perkinson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Perkinson went from 2,149 recorded bearers to 2,030. That is a decrease of 119 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,014 to #14,199.
What does the Census say about the background of Perkinson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Perkinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Perkinson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (1,777 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Perkinson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Black (6.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Perkinson (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Perkinson mean?
Derived from the Old English "Peartingas," referring to people living near a pear tree or orchard. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Perkinson (0.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Perkinson?
Want to know how many people have the last name Perkinson? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.